1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Azusa Pacific University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Azusa Pacific University CA · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #481 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/azusa-pacific-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/azusa-pacific-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/azusa-pacific-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/azusa-pacific-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/azusa-pacific-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Azusa Pacific University #481 nationally. ### Who it’s a good fit for Azusa Pacific University is a private nonprofit university in Azusa, California, where Health Professions anchors the degree mix, and return is the pillar that stands out most, at well above average. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model assigns the larger share of that gap to a remainder it does not explain, while field of study, enrollment and the local labor market account for the rest. The typical graduate also earns above the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted results point the same way. The net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. Pell students finish within a few points of the entering cohort's rate. Access is around the average and affordability is modestly below average, so the picture is mixed. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools. A student drawn to Nursing should know that the largest program is also the best-paid one. The Liberal Arts and General Studies program, though smaller, sits at the other end of the earnings range. ## Azusa Pacific University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 88.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 61.8% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $71,925 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $22,998 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $23,219 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $26,000 ## Azusa Pacific University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Azusa Pacific University is a private nonprofit university in Azusa, California, enrolling 2,759 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (67th percentile). The four pillars are spread out: return is the strongest and mobility is the weakest, with access and affordability in between. The university admits 88.4% of applicants, a rate above the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 84.0% return for a second year, against a median of 83.4% for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 61.8%, compared to a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 23.7% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes the first-time, full-time cohort and not the full student body. The university has a strong return pillar and a lower mobility pillar. Access and affordability sit near the middle of the field. The pillars are spread out, showing a mix of strong and middling performance. Azusa Pacific University's strongest pillar is return on investment, where it sits in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access pillar lands in the 52nd percentile, affordability in the 44th percentile, and mobility—the weakest pillar—in the 37th percentile. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 983 and 1,238. For the ACT, the middle 50% of submitted scores fell between 25 and 30. Pell Grants reach 35.1% of undergraduates. Azimuth ranks Azusa Pacific University #704 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at a rate of 57.5%, which is 4.3 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/). Azimuth ranks the university #921 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $12,116 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Azusa Pacific University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #481 | | [California](/rankings/best-colleges-in-california/) | #52 | | [West](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-west/) | #91 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 37 **Access & reach** National percentile: 52 **[Affordability](/school/azusa-pacific-university/cost/)** National percentile: 44 **[Return on investment](/school/azusa-pacific-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 88 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**#9** 2. Psychology, General**#23** 3. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**#70** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/azusa-pacific-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Azusa Pacific University briefing ## [Azusa Pacific University cost & financial aid](/school/azusa-pacific-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Azusa Pacific University is $56,313, which includes $44,458 in tuition and fees and $10,704 for room and board. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what families pay after grants and scholarships—drops to $22,212, a reduction of $34,101 from the sticker total. That figure is below the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,159. Azimuth ranks the university #791 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azusa Pacific University publishes a cost of attendance of $56,313, with tuition and fees at $44,458 and room and board at $10,704. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what families pay after grants and scholarships—varies by income. Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $15,781, while those in the $48,001–$75,000 band see $22,998, and families earning over $110,000 see $27,193. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,412. Azimuth ranks the university #791 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 61% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $34,101 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $22,212, which sits below the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,159. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $23,219. That median is below the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions by $980, and 93.5% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. For a graduate at the median four-year earnings of $71,925, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $264 a month if repaid over ten years. The median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $26,000. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$22,998** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Azusa Pacific University Graduates of Azusa Pacific University who take federal loans finish with a median federal debt of $23,219. With 93.5% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans, borrowing is widespread. Relative to comparable institutions (same type and size), where the peer median is $24,199, the university's median sits below by $980. Widespread borrowing here coincides with a median that is lower than the peer figure. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans represent a separate parent-borrower population, with a median of $26,000. Graduates of Azusa Pacific University earn about $12,116 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion are $71,925, which places the university in the 79th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios derived from the program mix show a typical earnings level of $71,925, with a downside scenario of $49,098 and an upside scenario of $118,549. Borrowers finish with a median federal debt of $23,219, which is below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $264 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings combined with debt that runs below the peer median point in the same direction for graduates. Parent borrowers at Azusa Pacific University took on a median of $26,000 in federal [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans, a separate borrowing population from students. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $264. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $23,219 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $26,000 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $264/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $330/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=azusa-pacific-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/azusa-pacific-university/cost/) 02 / Azusa Pacific University briefing ## [Azusa Pacific University career outcomes & earnings](/school/azusa-pacific-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Azusa Pacific University's strongest pillar is return, where Azimuth places the university in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $12,116 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 87th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,393. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $8,723. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $857. Four years after completion, completers earn a median of $71,925, which sits in the 79th percentile nationally. That figure is above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $3,675. Strong [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and a median that clears the peer benchmark point the same way for the return pillar. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Azusa Pacific University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $71,925. That is $3,675 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The earnings cohort numbers 2,466 completers, and Azimuth places the university's return pillar at the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $12,116 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $49,098 to $118,549. An estimated 27.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Azusa Pacific University posts a median of $71,925 four years after completion among federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled, in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $68,250, and the university sits $3,675 above that mark. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #178 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $12,116 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome falls in the 87th percentile. The share attributable to the factors the model measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,393. The share attributable to a remainder it does not explain adds $8,723. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $857, alongside a degree mix centered on health professions, with smaller concentrations in psychology, business, and liberal arts. The downside earnings scenario is $49,098 and the upside scenario is $118,549, both estimated from the program mix. They are not observed outcomes. An estimated 27.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: $49,098 on the downside against $118,549 on the upside. The wide range coincides with a program mix where Nursing is both the largest and highest-earning program. Business Administration and Management graduates earn a median of $78,900 four years after completion, from 82 degrees awarded a year. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #102 nationally within its field. Psychology is at $63,963, and Liberal Arts and General Studies is at $56,994. The published cost of attendance at Azusa Pacific University is $56,313, but aid brings the average net price down to $22,212. The average net price is $5,159 below the $27,371 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $23,219 in federal student loans, $980 below the $24,199 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $264 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $26,000. Graduates earn about $12,116 more than the model expects for similar students, while median federal debt sits below the peer midpoint. The two figures point the same way. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,393 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$8,723 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$12,116 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/azusa-pacific-university/outcomes/) 03 / Azusa Pacific University briefing ## [Azusa Pacific University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/azusa-pacific-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Azusa Pacific University admits 88.4% of applicants, a rate that sits well above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The figure describes broad access rather than narrow selectivity. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 88.4% **Approximate lower endpoint** 983 **Reported average** 1195 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1238 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/azusa-pacific-university/admissions/) 04 / Azusa Pacific University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Azusa Pacific University?](/school/azusa-pacific-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Azusa Pacific University's largest program, Nursing, is also its strongest earner: completers earn a median of $118,549 four years after graduating, with 615 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #9 nationally in its field. Business Administration and Management is a smaller but well-paying field, with 82 degrees awarded and median earnings of $78,900, placing it #102 nationally. Psychology and Liberal Arts and General Studies round out the largest programs with published earnings, with medians of $63,963 and $56,994 respectively, illustrating the spread between higher- and moderate-earning fields at the university. The university publishes earnings data for 4 bachelor's programs, and 4 hold an Azimuth national rank. The largest program, Nursing, awarded 615 degrees, ranks #9 nationally, and shows a median of $118,549 four years after completion. Psychology is the second-largest, with 150 degrees awarded, a national rank of #23, and a median of $63,963. Business Administration and Management awarded 82 degrees, ranks #102 nationally, and its completers earn a median of $78,900. Liberal Arts and General Studies rounds out the largest programs with published earnings with 81 degrees awarded, a national rank of #70, and a median of $56,994. The bachelor's degree mix at Azusa Pacific University is anchored in the health professions, with Health Professions accounting for 41.4% of degrees awarded. Psychology and Business follow, at 10.1% and 9.7% respectively. The university has 4 ranked programs, all with published four-year earnings data. The largest program with published earnings is Nursing, at 615 degrees awarded, followed by Psychology with 150 and Business Administration and Management with 82. The highest-ranked program is Nursing, which is also the largest and the highest-earning. It ranks #9 in California within its field, with median earnings of $118,549 four years after completion. Psychology is the second-highest-ranked program, at #23 nationally and #5 in California, with median earnings of $63,963. Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks #70 nationally and #20 in California within its field. The program has 81 degrees awarded and median earnings of $56,994 four years after completion. Nursing carries a benchmark ratio of 1.33x against the national median for its field. The pattern is one of concentration: a single program in the health professions dominates the degree count, the earnings picture, and the national rankings. The other ranked programs are smaller and sit further down their respective fields, with earnings that step down alongside the award counts. 4.9% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 615 degrees awarded** $118,549 **Psychology, General 150 degrees awarded** $63,963 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 87 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Business Administration, Management and Operations 82 degrees awarded** $78,900 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 81 degrees awarded** $56,994 **Visual and Performing Arts, General 38 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/azusa-pacific-university/majors/) 05 / Azusa Pacific University briefing ## How does Azusa Pacific University serve students from different backgrounds? Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort at Azusa Pacific University complete at 57.5%, below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) of 61.8% by 4.3 percentage points. Its mobility pillar stands in the 37th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's graduates earn about $12,116 more than the model expects for similar students, which places that measure in the 87th percentile. That outcome and the university's mobility standing pull in opposite directions. Azusa Pacific University, a private nonprofit university in Azusa, California, enrolls 2,759 undergraduates. The university admits 88.4% of applicants, compared with a peer median of 71.2%, and Pell Grant recipients account for 35.1% of the undergraduate body. An estimated 23.7% of students arrive as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The high admission rate and Pell share point to broad access, while the transfer-in estimate shows that a sizable portion of the student body starts elsewhere. 06 / Azusa Pacific University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Azusa Pacific University?](/school/azusa-pacific-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/azusa-pacific-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Azusa Pacific University. Admissions peerLa Sierra University91.5% admitted+ Comparison with Azusa Pacific University | Measure | Azusa Pacific University | La Sierra University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,925 | $57,898\-$14,027 vs Azusa Pacific University | | Average annual net price | $22,212 | $45,566+$23,354 vs Azusa Pacific University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.4% | 91.5% | Higher-admission alternativeAmerican International College99.6% admitted+ Comparison with Azusa Pacific University | Measure | Azusa Pacific University | American International College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,925 | $71,565\-$360 vs Azusa Pacific University | | Average annual net price | $22,212 | $23,274+$1,062 vs Azusa Pacific University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.4% | 99.6% | Nearby alternativeCalifornia Baptist UniversityNearby option · CA+ Comparison with Azusa Pacific University | Measure | Azusa Pacific University | California Baptist University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,925 | $68,600\-$3,325 vs Azusa Pacific University | | Average annual net price | $22,212 | $26,285+$4,073 vs Azusa Pacific University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.4% | 84.9% | [Explore California Baptist University →](/school/california-baptist-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeCal Poly Maritime Academy$108,757 earnings+ Comparison with Azusa Pacific University | Measure | Azusa Pacific University | Cal Poly Maritime Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,925 | $108,757+$36,832 vs Azusa Pacific University | | Average annual net price | $22,212 | $20,555\-$1,657 vs Azusa Pacific University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 88.4% | 95.0% | [Explore Cal Poly Maritime Academy →](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/) Lower-cost alternativeCalifornia State University-Fullerton$6,555 average net price+ Comparison with Azusa Pacific University | Measure | Azusa Pacific University | California State University-Fullerton | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,925 | $63,753\-$8,172 vs Azusa Pacific University | | Average annual net price | $22,212 | $6,555\-$15,657 vs Azusa Pacific University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 88.4% | 90.5% | [Explore California State University-Fullerton →](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/) Similar profileGeorge Fox UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Azusa Pacific University | Measure | Azusa Pacific University | George Fox University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,925 | $69,145\-$2,780 vs Azusa Pacific University | | Average annual net price | $22,212 | $31,679+$9,467 vs Azusa Pacific University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.4% | 93.5% | Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/azusa-pacific-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 27, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 27, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)